Government of West Bengal
Panchayats and Rural Development Department
Jessop Building, 63 Netaji Subhash Road, 1st Floor, Kolkata-700 001
No: 944(19) -RD/PH&S/S/5M-10/10
Dated: 17.02.2011
From: Trilochan Singh
Principal Secretary to the Government of West Bengal
To :
The District Magistrate & Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad (All)
The District Magistrate Darjeeling & Executive Officer Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad
Principal Secretary, DGHC
Sub: Streamlining of the functioning of the water testing laboratories.
Sir/Madam,
As you know that guidelines were issued as per memo no.PHE/P/361/TM-8/89(Pt.I) dated
18.2.2008 of the Public Health Engineering Department, Government of West Bengal read with memo no.
1955(19)-RD/PH&S/S/2C-1/99(Pt.II) dated 11.3.2008 of this Department for setting up a network of water
testing laboratories across the state for monitoring and surveillance of water quality and as many as 114
laboratories have become functional of which 80 nos. are run by NGOs. Though the programme has been
launched almost three years back, there are considerable gaps in its implementation at various levels.
Number of samples tested in these laboratories are not at the desired level and in many cases the task of
disinfection of contaminated sources is not taken up properly. Non-availability/drop-out of Sample
Collectors has also been reported in some Gram Panchayat areas in various districts. Delay in release of
fund to NGOs for running the laboratories is also another area of concern. I would, therefore, request you
kindly to undertake a thorough review of the programme in the context of the guidelines and take effective
steps for streamlining the implementation of the programme in your district. In this respect, it may be noted
that as per guidelines one Chemist, one Bacteriologist and one Laboratory Assistant are supposed to be in
place in the laboratories and they are paid @Rs.4,000/- per month (Chemist and Bacteriologist) and
Rs.2,500/- per month (Laboratory Assistant) by the NGOs out of the fund provided by the Zilla Parishads
from the Central Finance Commission Grant. Moreover in terms of order no.PH/P/1670/TM-8/89(Pt.II)
dated 21.6.2010 of the PHE Department, a further sum of Rs.2,000/- per month is to be given to the Chemist
and Bacteriologist and Rs.1,500/- per month to the Laboratory Assistant by the Public Health Engineering
Department out of the Government of India fund under NRDWP. These laboratory personnel have been
properly trained for testing of the samples and so far as it is known they have been discharging their duties
efficiently, in general. In this context, I would request you kindly to see that the services of these personnel
are utilized by the NGOs uninterruptedly till the continuance of the programme so that the services of a
fleet of trained personnel can be best utilized in the interest of the programme. However, the services of any
of such personnel may be discontinued by the NGOs, if necessary only on disciplinary grounds with the
prior approval of the Zilla Parishads. NGOs may be instructed to submit a list of laboratory personnel to the
Zilla Parishads, if not already done for record. I would also request you kindly to review the status of
Contd.2
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payment of honorarium to the laboratory personnel by the NGOs to ensure that the laboratory personnel are
paid honorarium as per scale and in time regularly in the interest of sustainability of the programme. Any
contravention in this respect may be brought to the notice of the State Sanitation Cell as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully,
(T. Singh)
Principal Secretary
No.944(19)/1(5)-RD/PH&S/S/5M-10/10
Dated: 17.02.2011
Copy forwarded to:
1. Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of West Bengal
Swasthya Bhavan,GN 29, Sector-V Salt Lake, Kolkata-700 091.
2. Principal Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department, Government of West Bengal
N.S. Building (7th floor), 1, K.S. Roy Road, Kolkata-700 001.
3. .State Coordinator, Sanitation Cell, SIPRD, Kalyani, Nadia.
4. PS to Minister-In-Charge of this Department
5. PS to Minister of State of this Department.
(G. Bhattacharya)
Joint Secretary